You don’t have to navigate pregnancy and birth in a foreign country alone.

I’m Iris, a certified doula based in Haarlem. A few years ago, I was pregnant myself while living in Chile. Far from my own mother, my own language, and everything that normally makes pregnancy feel familiar. I remember exactly how disorienting it is to prepare for birth in a system you don’t understand, in a language that isn’t your first.

That experience is a big part of why I now support parents with an international background here in the Netherlands. Curious about my background and the full range of what I do? You can read more about me.

Iris van Wijk, doula, gespecialiseerd in zwangerschapsmassages, bij Praktijk Valleikracht

You’re not the only one feeling lost in the system

If you’re pregnant in the Netherlands and didn’t grow up here, you’ve probably already noticed: the Dutch approach to pregnancy and birth is different from what you may be used to, and most of the information around you is in Dutch. This isn’t only about parents who’ve just landed here for a few years, either your partner might be Dutch while you’re the one navigating an unfamiliar system, or you might have lived in the Netherlands for a long time and plan to stay for good. If you didn’t grow up with the Dutch system yourself, it can still feel entirely new exactly when it matters most. On top of that, many parents in this situation are doing it without grandparents, sisters or lifelong friends nearby. The people who, back home, would normally help you make sense of it all. That combination: an unfamiliar system, possibly a language barrier, and a smaller support network, is exactly where a doula makes the biggest difference. And it works the other way round too: if you’re Dutch yourself but your partner isn’t, English-language support means the two of you go through this together, rather than everything running through you as the translator.

How birth care works in the Netherlands, in short

The Dutch maternity system is built around a few key people, and it helps to know who does what before you meet them.

Your verloskundige (midwife) is usually your main point of contact throughout a low-risk pregnancy. She’s not a nurse and not automatically a doctor, but a fully trained specialist in pregnancy and birth. If complications arise, she refers you to a gynaecologist. (Read the full guide: Giving Birth in the Netherlands: How the Dutch System Really Works.)

Kraamzorg a very Dutch word with no neat English equivalent, roughly “professional postpartum home care” is a uniquely Dutch institution: a trained kraamverzorgende comes to your home for several days after birth to support you medically and practically, and it’s partly covered through the basisverzekering. (Read more: Kraamzorg Explained.)

Where you give birth is your choice: home, a birth centre, or a hospital are all realistic options here, which surprises many expats coming from countries where hospital birth is the default.

Where a doula fits in

A doula isn’t a medical role. I don’t replace your verloskundige or your kraamzorg. What I offer is continuity: one familiar person who knows your story, speaks your language, and is with you emotionally and practically through pregnancy and the birth itself. And stays reachable by phone and WhatsApp in the weeks that follow. For parents in this situation especially, that continuity often replaces exactly what a mother, sister or best friend would normally provide. Someone who has time for your questions, however small, and who won’t disappear after the appointment ends. (Read more: What Is a Doula, and Why Expat Parents Need One Even More.)

What working together looks like

We usually start with one to three conversations during your pregnancy, where we get to know each other and prepare for birth together. From your preferences and fears to practical things like breathing techniques and positions for labour. From week 38 until your baby is born, I’m reachable 24/7, and I’m with you for the entire birth itself, however long it takes, working alongside your verloskundige or the hospital team rather than instead of them. I head home again shortly after your baby is born, so you can rest as a family. I come back once for a kraambezoek, a home visit to look back on the birth together. Right from the start, I set up a shared WhatsApp group with you and your partner (where applicable), so we’re all in the loop together rather than everything going through one of you. I’m just a message or phone call away in that same group. All of this is available in English, for you and your partner. I also offer pregnancy courses, including in English: see the full course offering.

Investment

I offer two doula packages and a standalone birth preparation course, all inclusive of VAT and excluding parking and mileage (€0.45/km):

  • Doula Birth Essential | €1850: one extended home visit to prepare for the birth, a pregnancy massage, help drafting your birth plan, 24/7 standby from week 38, continuous support for the entire birth regardless of duration, free use of a TENS device and birth ball, phone support for six weeks after birth, and one home visit afterwards (a kraambezoek) to look back on the birth together.
  • Doula Complete Care | €2150: three in-depth preparation visits (roughly two hours each, covering intake, your birth plan and relaxation techniques, and birth positions and massage), an extra check-in appointment past 40 weeks, continuous support for the entire birth regardless of duration, photos/video of the birth on request, unlimited phone and WhatsApp contact from the start of our work together until six weeks after birth, and one home visit afterwards (a kraambezoek) to look back on the experience together.
  • Birth Prep Privé | €550: a private, two-session birth preparation course at home for you and your partner, including a pregnancy massage, without the full doula-on-call service.

Custom arrangements and payment in installments are possible. Get in touch if you’d like to talk through what fits your situation.

Not ready to reach out yet?

If you’d rather start by reading than talking, download my free guide New in the Netherlands: Your Pregnancy & Birth Roadmap in 5 Steps. It’s a short, practical overview of what to arrange and when. My articles for expat parents are a good next step. Start with how Dutch maternity care works, then read about who does what in your birth team and the paperwork after the birth.

Let’s talk

The easiest way to find out if we’re a good match is a short, no-pressure conversation in English, whenever suits you. Based outside central Haarlem? This works the same way across Haarlem & Kennemerland, in Hoofddorp & Haarlemmermeer, and in Amstelveen.

Or simply send me a message using the form below, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

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